Leach-casting machine.



J.J. STERLING. LEAGH CASTING MGHINE APPLIUATION FILED snPT.4,19oe.

Patented May 11, 1909.

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J. J. STERLING. LEAQH CASTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1906.

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J. J STJEIHLINGl LEAoEoAsTlNG MACHINE. APPLIQATION FILED SEPT. 4. 1906.

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JOSEPH J. STEHLING, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN..

)BEACH-CASTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

kPatented. May 11, 1909.

Application led September 4,1906. Serial No. 333,073.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr J. SrEHLrNG, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a Leach-Casting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of machine for removing leached or spent tan-bark from the leaching vat used in extracting the tanning solution in the process of making leather. The extraction process is carried on in large cylindrical vats or tanks by steeping therein a quantity of the tan-bark in hot water, and the said tanks are rovided with a false bottom, whereby the infusion may be drawn off when the process has proceeded far enough, leaving the bark behind on said false bottom. A hole is rovided through both bottoms of the tanxs, through which the bark is thrown out in emptying it; the said hole being stopped by a hollow plug `during the infusion process.

Certain machines tan bark have been heretofore invented, these machines comprising in principle a shaft having radial arms provided with shovels or scoops and said shaft being caused to rotate in the tank,'whereby the bark is gathered up and discharged from the aforesaid opening in the bottom. t

The object of the present invention is to improve on machinery of this type by overcoming certain objections thereto and at the same time providing asingle machine which shall be applicable to aplurality of vats and can be readily removed from'one to another as may be desired.

In my new apparatus, the entire machine including the rotary shaft and driving mechanism is mounted on tram-rails and adapted to be lrolled along from one vat to another, the aforesaid shaft and pitching arms being arranged to be raised and lowered from and into the infusion vats.

The invention consists of the novel combinations and constructionsywhich will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly set forth in the claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention and its mode of operation, l have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a leaching-vat and the leach-casting machine operating therein. The said vat' is supposed to be one of a series, as ordinarily for removing the spent used in tanneries; Fig. 2'is aside elevation of the machine, the cross-head and arms being, however, broken away; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same;` Fig. 4 is an end view of the same from the rightof Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of one side of the tank and one end of the cross-beam, to show the manner of guiding the latter in the vat; Fig. 6 is a vertical medium section, and Fig. 7 a plan of the collar-bearing supporting the cross-head; Fig. S is: an. end view of the cross-beam; Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section on the line 9 of Fig. 8 and Fig. l0 is a fragmentary longitudinal section and Fig. 11 a transverse section through the shaft to illustrate the telesco'ping joint.

In these drawings every reference letter* and numeral refers always to the same part.

Fig. l shows a cylindrical vat or tank 21 having a bottom 22, and a short distance therefrom a false bottom 23, through slits or perforations in which the tan liquor can run when it is being drawn from the vat, leaving the spent bark behind in the vat. At one side is an opening 24 from which the spent bark is pitched to remove it from the tank after the leaching process. This opening is closed during the steeping by a plug extendingupwardly above the level of the bark. The top of the vat is closed by a cover 25 having aV longitudinal opening in the center through which the leach-casting devices descend. As so fardescribed, the vat is of an ordinary construction and constitutes no part of my invention. This vat is supposed to be one of a row of vats over which pass a pair of parallel beams 26 secured together in proper relation at intervals, as by ties 27 and carrying tram-rails 28 on which travels a frame or carriage 29 With wheels 3() and 31 rolling on said rails; the wheels 31 on one side being Alianged, as shown, to guide the carriage on the rails.

The carriage 29` has mounted thereon in the center a bearing 32 for a telescoping shaft made in two or more sections 33, 34; the uppersection 33 being journaled in the bearing 32 as shown, and provided with a keyway 35 along its entire length. On the upper side of the bearing 32 turns a bevel-gear 36, which is provided with a key 37 engaging the keyway 35 of the shaft; said shaft sliding freely in the bearing and gear, but being nonrotatable relative to the latter by reason of saidV keyed engagement. The section 33 of the shaft is provided with a cross-pin or cotter 38 which prevents such section from falling through the nave of the wheel. The said up er shaft-section 33 is tubular and provi ed at its lower end with an internal cellar or flange 39 while the lower section 34is of the proper diameter to 'lit said internal collar 39 and is provided with a head 40 which i'its the interior diameter of the shaft-section 33. r1he shaft-section 34 is in turn provided with a keyway 41 along its entire length and there is a key 42 secured to the collar 39 and engaging in said keyway whereby to prevent rotation of the section 34 relative to the section 33 but permitting longitudinal movement.

The lower section 34 ol the shaft carries iixed in rigid relation thereto a crosshead 43 which has sockets receiving` a pair ol radial arms 44 having a sweep as nearly as possible equal to the interior diameter oi the vat. These arms are made of ordinary gas-pipe and are secured in their sockets by set-screws 45 and they carry ka plurality et shovels or scoops 46 which are obliquely connected in a manner to turn over the bark and pitch it toward the outlet aperture 24. The underside of the crosshead 43 also has scoops 47 fixed thereto for a like purpose, and at the point on each of the arms 44 which comes immediately over the opening 24 there is a plow 48 which has secured to its rear side plurality of vertical spring-dies 49 and a pair of horizontal spring wires 50, these latter acting to scrape the sides of the vat and detach therefrom any adhering barlr.

The crosshead 43 is provided with an intee gral collar-bearing 51,which is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. lThis bearing is supported in bearing-blocks 52, which are mounted on a cross-beam 53 extending from side to side of the vat, and having each of its ends guided between a pair of guide strips 54 (see 5). The ends of this cross-beam are formed, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, with a pair et vertical angle-bars 55 sliding on the edges of the guide-pieces 54 and having their lower edges sharpened whereby to remove any adhering bark from the guides as the cross-beam descends; and to remove the barlr from the space between the guides an oblique plate 56 is fixed to the under side of the end of the cross beam and sharpened on its lower edge as shown; this plate abutting on the wall of the vat between said guides. rlhe crossbeam 53 is made up of a pair of channelbeams 57 secured together at the ends by transverse channel-pieces 58 to which are secured the vertical angle-bars 55 and the beams 57 are secured together in the center by the bolts 59 which hold the bearing blocks 52 in place. The crosshead, arms and shovels are therefore swung in a pivotal manner from the cross-beain 53, and this beam is lowered into and raised from the vats by means of apair of ropes or like flexible connections 50, which wound upon a pair ol drums (il mounted on a shalt 62 near one end ot the carriage: the ro `t the opposite side. ol' the shaft being i d to pass over a sheave (SIS. which turns loosel" on a 'fixed sha tt d4 mounted in pedestals and secured thereto bj; set screws ttj; said sheave 53 moving` longitu dinalliV on said shaft to keep in :iliuenuuit with the rope as it winds or unvvinds l'rom the drum 5l.

'the shaft (i12 turns in bearings t' and car ries a worm-wheel 53, which i keyed thereto as are also the drums` (il, and is driven to wind or unwind the rope upon said drums h v a worm 5) mounted on a lor 'tndinal shalt turningin bearings 7l. bard shall has on one end thereof :i spur-gear 7i. which is engaged by one or more projecting lugs Til on tle periphery ol the wheel 35; and the gear is keyed to the shalt T() b jv a .spline T-l, which permits said wheel to be slid bach" out of the way of the lueI or lugs 73. t its opposite end the shalt may be provided with a removable cra-nir, 75, to permit tl l ropes l() to be wound up by hand when desirable.

rlhe driviinj;4 mechanism oi the nntehine comprises a sprm'liet-wheel o', toi-mn ot a clutch-drum 7'?, which. rot: 3 loo 1 a longitu inal shaft 73, they latter mounted n bearing.;l posts 7l), and havingw keyed on one end thereof a bevel-pinion No which meshes with the bevcl gzearnvheel #lll and drives 'the latter. 'ihe clutch-drinn TT is clutched to the shaft 73 by the coperating: part of the clutch, which. is ol' am' desirable type and forms no part of mv present inventioin the clutcli-ineclianis]n being entirelv located within the 'lrum 77 and .not appearing separately in the drawings. pro .iectinv dog is shown, rfhich is emfaged bv a sliding clutch-cone 5K3, the latter beingy operated by a hand-lever 3ft pivoted at S5 and connected 'with the, cone in aniY usua manner to slide it longitiulinalljv on the shalt and thus turn the dog; $2 and canse the clutch to locli whereby thel shalt Tel is driven from the sprocket*wheel l. lt will be understoodl that the sprmlretnvhcel To is itself driven from an overhead shaft or other source of power, to which it is connected bv a driving-chain 'this chain being removed whenever the carriage is moved lroni one vat to another. l do not, however, consider this inode ol driving essential to my invention, as l may in some cases have the driving` motor mounted directly on the carriage.

t one side ol' the carriage is mounted a (muntershal't which. rotates in bearings 87, andhas mounted on one end gear SN, which is splincd to and slidable thereon l'or a short distance, so as to engage or disengage with a spur-gear 39 formed on the periphery of the drum 7T. .il longitudinal movement of the gear SS is ell'ected by means of' a volied hand-lever, pivoted on a bracket 91 to the,

ltlll carriage-frame and operatively connected with the wheel 72 when the latter is thrown' back out of the path ci the lu'g 7 3, as shown by the dotted line position in Fig. 8.

The operation oi my machine is as follows: The carriage being rolled into position over the vat from which the bark is to be removed, the wheel 7 6 is connected by a chain with the source 01' power as already described. By means of the cranl-75 the cross-beam 53 is now lowered with the pitching-arms and shovels into the tank the proper distance, until the shovels reach the bark. The wheel 88 being in the position shown in the drawings, the power is now turned on by throwing the clutch lever 84 to the leit.v The wheel 36 now begins to turn, rotating the pitchingarms and shovels which scrape up the bark and pitch it out of the hole 24, and at every revolution of the shaft the wheel 72 is turned one tooth or as much as may be desirable, according to the number of lugs 73, .thus lowering the arms coincidently with the pitching-operation. After the bark is all removed, to raise the pitching-arms the clutch 77 is thrown out of action so as to cease turning the arms, and the wheel 88 being thrown into gear with the wheel 89, and

the wheel 72 into gear with the wheel 93, the wheel 72 is now turned rapidly in the reverse direction so as towind the ropes 60 on the drums, and this continues until the crossbeam 53 and arms 44 are completely raised out of the vat into the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the power is thrown of?,

rlhe object of making the shaft in two sections is to prevent the same from extending so high when raised as to strike the roof or 'loor above and it will be obvious that instead of making the shaft in two sections it may be made in three or more sections if desired, each one within the other in the same manner as already described.

While 1 have hereinabove described the preferred form oiE my invention, 1 wish it understood that 1 do not limit myself to any one of' the particular features thereof, and I fully realize that it is capable of numerous modiiications without departing from the principle thereof, and 1 consider such modifications and omissions may be made without departing from the principle of my invention. Further, 1 realize that my machine is applicable to other manufacturing processes than leather-making, and do not coniine myself merely to its use in the extraction of a tanning solution.

Having thus described my invention,'what l claim as new and desire' to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. 1n a leach casting machine the combination of a carriage, Winding drums stationarily mounted thereon, a cross beam suspended from said carriage by ileiiible'connections passing over said drums, a rotary pitching devicel journals-d in said beam, driving mechanism mounted on said carriage, and a rotating connection between said mechanism and said pitching device, said beam and pitching device being permanently connected with the carriage and yportable therewith, substantially as described.

2. ln a leach casting machine the combination of a carriage, winding drums stationarily mounted thereon, a cross beam sus* pended from said carriage by 'flexible connections passing over said drums, a rotary pitching device journaled in said beam, a horizontal driving wheel mounted on said carriage, and a shaft attached at its lower end to said pitching device and having a splined connection with said wheel, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a leaching vat having vertical guides at opposite sides thereof anda track passing transversely over said vat, of a carriage mounted on said track, winding drums stationarily mounted on saidv carriage, a cross beam adapted to engage at the ends with said guides and suspended from said carriage by flexible connections passing over said drums, a rotary pitching device centrally journaled in said'beam, and driving means mounted on said carriage and having an extensible rotating connection with said pitching device, substantially as described.

4. rEhe combination with a leaching vat having vertical guides at oaposite sides thereof, and a track arrange transversely over said vat, of a carriage mounted on said track, winding drums stationarily mounted on said carriage, a cross beam adapted to engage at the ends with said guides and suspended from said carriage by iiexible connections passing over said drums, a rotary itching device centrally journaled in said beam, a driving mechanism mounted on said carriage, and a telescoping shaft connecting said driving mechanism with said pitching device, substantially as described.

5. n a leach casting machine the combination with a frame of a horizontal driving gear mountedon said frame and having a peripheral tooth or lug, a vertically movable rotary pitching device having a self adjusting rotating connection withv said gear, winding drums stationarily mounted on said frame and provided with a worm gear, iieXible connections attached to said pitching device and to said drums, and a shaft having a worm engaging said worm gear and a gear in the path of the peripheral tooth or lug on the driving gear, substantially as described.

6. 1n a leach casting machine the combination of a carriage, a horizontal gear mounted thereon and provided with a peripheral tooth FIT or lug, means for rotating said gear, Winding drums stationarily mounted on said carriage and provided with a Worm gear, a vertically movable rotary pitching device suspended from said carriage by iiexible connections attached to said drums, a telescoping shaft connecting vsaid pitching device with said driving gear, and a shaft provided with a Worm in mesh with said worm gear and a gear in the path of the peripheral tooth or lng on the driving gear, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a leaching vat having vertical guides at opiosite sides thereof and a track passing over t re vat, of a carriage mounted on said track, a horizontal driving gear mounted on said carriage and provided With a tooth or lug,"means for turning said gear, Winding drums stationarily mounted on said carriage and provided with a worm gear, a crank shaft having a Worm meshing with said Worm gear, and a gear movable into and out of the path of the tooth or lug on the driving gear, a vertically movable cross beam adapted to engage at its ends with said guides and suspended from said carriage by ilexible connections attached to said drums, and a rotary pitching device centrally journaled in said beam and connected with said driving gear by a telescoping shaft, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a leaching' vat having vertical guides at opposite sides thereof and a traclr passing over the vat, of a carriage mounted on said track, a horizontal gear mounted on said carriage and provided With a tooth or lug, a driving shaft for turning said gear, winding drums stationarily mounted on said carriage and provided with a Worm gear, a crank shaft having a worm meshing with said worin gear, and a gear movable into and out of range with said tooth or lug, a counter shaft provided with gears for connecting it with the gear on the crank shaft and a gear on the driving shaft, a cross beam iitted to engage at the ends with said guides and suspended from said carriage by flexible connections attached to said drums, and a rotary pitching device centrally `iournaled in said beam and connected with said horizontal gear by a teleseoping shaft, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a leaching vat having vertical guides at opposite sides thereof, of a frame arranged over said vat, a vertically movable cross beam adapted to engage at the ends with said guides and pri vided with. scrapers extending below the ends of the beam close to the guides for removing material adhering thereto, means for suspend ing said beam from said frame and for lowering and raising the same into and out of the vat, a rotary )itching device. centrally journaled in said beam, and means for rotating said pitching device while it is being lowered into the vat, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPHv J'. STEIN il N( Attest:

GEORGE Vil. CoLLns, Bonner A. Scorr.

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